This session, led by Adriana Gerdler, covered five common reasons why projects fail and offered practical strategies to avoid these pitfalls as a project manager.
The meeting focused on conflict management, setting expectations, communication, the impact of non-project managers, and risk management.
Additional resources and next steps were mentioned for attendees new to project management.
Action Items
None documented in this transcript.
Common Reasons for Project Failure
1. Dodging Conflict
Projects often fail when conflicts within the team are not addressed promptly.
The project manager must handle conflicts directly to prevent negative effects on the project timeline, scope, and budget.
Recommended to use communication and team-building resources for guidance on managing conflict.
2. Vague or Unrealistic Team Expectations
Success depends on the clarity of expectations communicated to the team from day one.
Project managers must motivate and continually check in with team members, especially when they do not report directly to the project manager.
Removing roadblocks and ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities is crucial.
3. Poor Communication
Over-communicating is necessary, as team members can become easily distracted and miss key information.
Repeating messages and confirming team understanding helps ensure alignment and accountability.
4. Non-Project Managers Leading Projects
Assigning project responsibilities to individuals without project management experience often leads to failure.
Leadership should recognize that project management is a unique skill set.
Non-project managers in this position are encouraged to seek out foundational training and resources.
5. Poor or No Risk Management
Ignoring risk assessment and mitigation leads to project derailment, commonly through resource allocation issues.
Project managers should identify risks early and create mitigation and contingency plans, involving sponsors and senior executives when appropriate.
Risk management should be a collaborative team activity, not a solo effort.
Decisions
Provide access to additional project management resources for new managers — To help non-project managers successfully deliver projects, supplemental training and resource downloads were suggested.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
Are there specific current projects where these failure points have been observed by the team?
Attendees were encouraged to share personal experiences with any of the identified failure reasons for further discussion.